Authors Note: This is a bit on the shorter side, but I wanted to get something out before I focus on my other stories. I enjoy writing about the bonds Konohamaru has with his friends Udon and Moegi, and I hope to give them more character as I continue. I'm still trying to figure out their personalities, especially Udon's and Moegi's. Hopefully everything will turn out good in the end though.
So enjoy!
I was about three when I started messing around with chakra. However I knew that I couldn't be seen doing it, otherwise, mother would have a fit. So I put myself in seclusion.
I started meditating, trying to at least to get a feel for my own chakra. It was hard. Not to mention with all the other chakras around me. The sensations were overwhelming, prickling at my skin and giving me a nasty itch. I also noticed that the same itch would occur on a daily basis and now that I look back on it, I'd never known how I tolerated it for so long. It was soon after that that I made the assumption that I was chakra sensitive, I mean it seemed incredibly obvious, at least to me.
I had the urge to tell my parents what was going on but, any mention of chakra to mother would instantly put her in a mood. Which was strange since she finally allowed Udon to attend Shinobi Academy at the beginning of the new year. The decision filled Udon's heart with joy, and I was happy for him. Yet in the back of my mind, I was worried, I didn't want him to be caught up in the hype of it. He needed to focus in order to make it and from my knowledge, the Academy was no joke.
Fortunately, Udon exceeded my silent expectations. For all of my snooping, I gathered that he was incredibly smart, especially in the mathematics. So much so that they moved him up, right into Konohamaru and Moegi's class. He caught up fast and even ranked high in the class rankings. It was then when my pride for my brother grew. But I knew that I needed to get stronger, it was the only way I could survive the coming events.
I stared at the small leaf in my hands with determination, gathering my attention to the present. Mother and father were out, and Udon was cooped up in his room studying. Seeing that there was no one to disturb me, I decided that this would be the perfect time to test it out. The evening light spilled in through the cracks of my bedroom's shades, casting their orange glow against the walls of my room. The natural light and overarching shadows put my mind at ease, making it easier for me to concentrate. I had only seen the leaf concentration technique once, and that was in a flashback in one of the earlier Naruto episodes. However, the basic concept was easy to understand. You just direct your chakra to the leaf in order to make it stick, easy chakra control.
Or so I thought.
I inhaled deeply, calming my nerves as I placed the leaf on my forehead, on top of my bangs. I held it there and closed my eyes, trying mentally to guide my chakra towards its right destination. I felt a tingling sensation as it pooled around the leaf, and when I felt comfortable enough I let go. My eyes stayed closed for a few seconds before I let them open, slowly. I expected to see the leaf tumble off of my head but no, there it was, stuck perfectly on top of my ragged bangs.
I felt myself smile, excitement rushing through my veins, my first attempt had been a success!
Unfortunately, my excitement was my own downfall. I became unfocused and therefore, overloaded my chakra into one specific point.
Causing a backlash
There was a strange sound that was loud and concussive, throwing me into my back in seconds. My scream was short, high-pitched and incredibly embarrassing. However, it was only when I saw a red liquid trail down my nose to my mouth when I became concerned.
It tasted metallic and salty. My eyes widened. I was bleeding, and bleeding bad.
The door to my room busted open before I could do anything.
"Katsu!" Udon yelled, voice full of worry. I felt him by my side in an instant, gathering me up in his small arms. It felt like his voice was in deep water, constantly being rippled and distorted to a degree that made it hard to hear. My head spun and my mouth sputtered out incoherent words.
God, it hurt to even speak!
"M-My head..." I croaked out.
"God, what did you- a leaf?!" I could see the blurry image of Udon pick up the leaf into his fingers. He took one look at it before turning sharply to me.
"How did you know about this?" Udon demanded. He instantly made the connection, faster than I could have thought. Even though I was in pain, I scrambled to come up with an answer. I couldn't tell him that I knew because of a past life, he'd think I was insane. So with a shaky voice, I said the first thing that popped up in my head.
"-your notes. I-I looked." I managed. I watched his face, expecting him to see right through me. However, his expression morphed into a tired smile. It was a strange thing to look at. Udon's glasses were fogged up, and with the usual snot bubble, he looked incredibly stupid. But I was into much pain to laugh.
"If you wanted to learn about chakra, you should've asked." He sighed.
"Sorry."
Udon sighed before getting up to his feet, with me cradled in his arms. He sniffed up his stuffy nose as he walked out of my room.
"It's fine. Now let's get that wound of yours fixed."
Mother and father were extremely concerned when they returned later that evening. Thanks to Udon, he covered for me, saving me from a lifetime of punishment. Over the months the injury healed and I got a nasty scar on my forehead as a result. It hurt and itched like a bitch for a few days, but looking at it through a mirror, I realized it had taken the shape of a really fat jagged line.
Like a lightning bolt.
I smiled to myself, thinking about a black-haired wizard with Udon's incredibly round glasses. I wondered if it were possible to be reincarnated in that world? I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. But I couldn't turn back from where I already was, doing so meant dying, and I didn't feel like kicking the bucket anytime soon.
"I'm home!" Udon's voice rang out from front door downstairs. I smiled, hopping off of the stool I stood on to go and greet my brother.
"Nii-san!" I chirped as I rushed down the staircase. Udon spared a glance at me while tossing his backpack on the sofa. He was too tired to even hug me properly as I squeezed my arms around his waist.
"Hey! S-stop! I'm sore!" Udon winced, trying to pull away from my iron grip. I held on for a bit longer to mess with him before finally letting go, watching him crash down into the cushions of the sofa. Udon groaned in discomfort and I puffed up my cheeks in mock disappointment, crossing my arms for good measure.
"Does this mean you're not going to teach me ninjutsu?"
Udon scoffed before turning his head to get a good look at me. "How could I possibly teach you ninjutsu?! You don't even have chakra control down, not to mention that I only know a few basic jutsu!" I hummed in consideration.
"Can you still teach me hand seals?"
Udon groaned, again.
"Not now, I have homework to do! But maybe later. Kay?" Udon turned his eyes back towards me, with a face that pleaded with me to leave him alone. I stared at him for a solid minute before smiling.
"Deal!"
"Aww! Udon you never told me that your brother was this cute!" A girlish squeal erupted from an orange pigtailed girl about an inch shorter than Konohamaru, who was silently snickering in the background. Udon had taken me to a shinobi training area to watch him practice shuriken, who would've thought that we'd seen Moegi and Konohamaru at the same place. Moegi was pleasantly surprised, but Konohamaru looked like he didn't want to be there. I had never met Moegi personally, only heard Udon and Konohamaru talk about her occasionally. Her orange hair was in two small pigtails, smaller than the ones she had when she was first introduced in the series. Her two pointer fingers and thumbs were targeting my cheeks. They pinched and pulled, making my cheeks sting and red in embarrassment.
This girl was going to pay, dearly.
"Moegi, that's not a good idea!" Udon warned, watching as my eyes darkened. Moegi wasn't listening, too preoccupied with my fat cheeks to heed the warning signs. She paid the price for it.
"OW!" My baby teeth showed no mercy as I clamped down on her right pointer finger. Moegi's scream was mixed with surprise and shock, grabbing a fist full of my dark hair as she tried to pull me off. After five desperate pulls, I reluctantly let go and watched with a hidden smirk as Moegi nursed her injured finger.
"Told you," Udon said in the background, but Moegi ignored him. I watched warily as she turned her attention back to me, and let me tell you...
She was livid.
"Why you STUPID LITTLE BRAT I OUTTA!-" Moegi's personality shifted, along with her chakra, to an unstable anger. I gasped, backing up, making a stark parallel between her and Sakura. It took both Konohamaru and Udon to hold her back to keep her from getting to me, and I was grateful. I didn't want to become a punching bag, not like Naruto.
"Moegi calm down! He's only three!" Udon pleaded.
" Yeah! Have some self-control!" Konohamaru grunted, after taking an elbow to the gut. Moegi glared back at him.
"Heh! You're the one to talk!"
"YOU KNOW WHAT!"
I watched in amazement as Konohamaru ripped Moegi out of Udon's grasp, spinnig her around before slammed her into the grassy earth below. His knee and hand were on Moegi's back and head before she could do anything, pushing her face further into the grass. Konohamaru's other hand held up her left arm, stretching it uncomfortably Moegi struggled underneath him for a bit before Konohamaru pulled slightly, bringing out a yelp of pain from her lips.
"Alright! Alright! I give!" Moegi cried. Konohamaru got up quickly letting Moegi have room to breath. I stared at them for a long time, unnerved by Konohamaru's actions. I knew that Konohamaru was a ninja in training but, the switch in mentality was too fast for me to keep up with. It was like a totally different person took over his body!
A drop of sweat rolled down the side of my cheek as I felt the atmosphere shift, back into the usually happy-go-lucky mood, and I sighed with relief. Moegi, Konohamaru, and Udon were laughing, like any of the events previously never happened! I felt the urge to face-vault onto the floor, but I had to remember that the Academy students were no joke, no matter how young or stupid they may seem.
"So Moegi, why'd you drag me out here again?" Konohamaru asked as he sat down on a stump close by. Moegi huffed, putting her hands on her hips.
"Don't you remember?! We're supposed to be practicing our shuriken throws!"
Konohamaru huffed, sticking out his tongue in exaggerated disgust. "Eww, That's boring!" Moegi growled as she folded her arms. Her eyes screamed annoyance.
"Well, you pouting isn't going to make it any better! Konohamaru, we're gonna be tested on it two days from now!" Moegi whined. Konohamaru wasn't budging, sitting on the stump with his nose turned up into the air, until an idea hit him.
"Hey!" He began, "Why don't we spar!"
"Konohamaru I don't know abou-"
"Sparing?! You mean like an actual ninja fight!" I interrupted Udon, feigning excitement. It wasn't that I didn't want to see them fight, far from it, this would be my first taste of seeing combat first hand in this world.
Udon pressed his lips into a thin line.
"Ok"
I smiled. That's the response I wanted.
After watching them go at it for about ten minutes, I came to the conclusion that Konohamaru sucked.
In fact, he was utterly atrocious.
In the anime and manga, he was mentioned to be at the bottom of the barrel in his class, before Naruto came and smacked some sense into him, but I didn't think it would have been this bad.
He was getting tag-teamed by Udon and Moegi!
"Hey!" Konohamaru yelled, rolling to a stop on the grass. "You guys can't just make alliances outta nowhere!" Moegi stuck her tongue out at him.
"We're not in the Academy now dunderhead! Besides-" Moegi grinned devilishly, somehow brandishing six shurikens in between her fingers. "I'm kinda mad at you for earlier." She gave him no time to respond, flinging the shuriken with the fluid swipe of her two arms. The shuriken sliced through the air with precision, heading right for their target, who was scrambling to get away.
"WAH!"
Konohamaru was quick on his feet, and flexible too. Bending and jumping out if the way if the flying pieces of metal. He was doing well until the last one hit him dead center on his helmet. I gasped, watching him fall back onto the ground. Moegi and Udon were too shocked to say anything, and were about to rush over when-
"THE HELL WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?!" Konohamaru shot up, face red with anger. The shuriken had only pierced the helmet and nothing more.
What a relief.
"Are you trying to kill me?!" He growled as he hopped onto his feet, shuriken unlodging itself from its place to the grassy floor.
"No, you were just too slow to dodge," I answered.
"Shut up brat!" Konohamaru barked. Turning his attention back to his main problem, Konohamaru brandished six shurikens of his own with a devilish glint in his eyes.
"Let's see how you like it!" He yelled before breaking into a run. He was like a bullet, shooting forward until he stomped on the ground, pushing himself up into the air. With a smirk he spun, flinging shuriken wildly at his targets, in secret hopes that one would make contact. Udon and Moegi were quick to dodge but it looked unnecessary, especially when the shuriken embedded themselves awkwardly into trees ten feet away from them. I stifled a laugh, realizing that this was probably the reason Konohamaru didn't want to practice shuriken.
His aim was nonexistent.
This didn't phase him in the slightest since he still had that stupid grin on his face.
"You're wide open!" Konohamaru landed in front of Moegi with his fist clenched. The punch was fast but not as fast as Moegi's reflexes. She used her left arm to block before using her right palm to slam him in the nose. The blow knocked Konohamaru back a foot, right into Udon's path. Excitement bubbled into my chest as I watched Udon begin to engage.
"Kick his butt, Nii-san!" I shouted.
"Hey! No-oompf" Konohamaru yelled to distracted by my yell to see Udon's fist fly into his cheek. It dazed him for a second, but with a shake of his head, Konohamaru was back in action.
"Why you!-" He growled. Konohamaru's fists flew in an uncoordinated and sloppy manner, like a bastardization of the supposed Academy style combat I'd heard so much about. Udon managed to dodge many punches and kicks, minus the knick to his face that caused his glasses to go flying. Udon screamed, snot bubble dripping down, as he flung himself after them. Knowing mother she would kill him if she found out his glasses were broken, those had been his fifth pair. Luckily for Udon, the glasses only had a slight scratch on them.
Moegi's determined yell tore my gaze from my brother, and I watched as she delivered a mighty blow to the back of Konohamaru's head. His scream was loud and comedic, similar to the anime. I watched with amusement as he rolled around on the ground, rubbing the sore spot on his head that was still protected by his helmet. With a coy smile, Moegi looked over to Udon, then back at Konohamaru, before doing a peace sign with her fingers.
"Looks like I won!" She laughed. Konohamaru shot back up, hands still holding his head.
"What do ya mean "I won!"? He mimicked. "That was totally unfair!"
"Deal with it! You're the one who started this whole thing!"
"It's not my fault you've got a crappy temper!"
"YOU SHOULDN'T BE TALKING!"
"Oh shut up!"
"No, you shut up!"
"Shut up!"
The two continued to bicker, generating a sigh from my chest. If we weren't careful they might go at it all night, and I didn't want to wait that long. So in desperation, I turned to Udon, who was watching the screaming match with worry.
"Nii-san can you stop them?" I asked. I watched Udon as he shot me a glance before watching Moegi and Konohamaru for a few seconds. He chewed on his lip, as if deep in thought, before hopping to his feet with his glasses pushed up the bridge of his nose.
"I'll try." He muttered to himself. Udon neared the duo with uncertainty. Biting his lip, he lifted his hands to signal that he meant no harm. He took a deep breath.
"Guys can you-" Udon never made it through the whole sentence, stopping only because of two fists crashing into his face, right on his glasses.
"NOT NOW UDON!" Both Konohamaru and Moegi yelled in unison, paying no mind to their fallen friend three feet away. The broken remnants of his glasses laid a few inches away from his face, with only the frame left to tell the tale. The broken glass was on his face, but luckily none of it slipped into his eyes. I was quickly by his side, wiping away the shards until his small hand grabbed onto my wrist.
"Don't! You could cut yourself!"
I puffed my cheeks but said nothing. When it came to arguing, my brother was a rock wall. "Fine." I complied. I watched as Udon sat up, snotty nose now mixed with blood, as he picked up the remains of his glasses. Udon's head slumped down with shame.
"Okaa-san's gonna kill me." He mourned. I frowned, ignoring the annoying screams in the background, thinking of a way to cheer him up. Not a second later an idea popped up. With a smile, I leaned closer towards Udon.
"Dango?" My eyes perked up as I stared at his. The look he gave me made it obvious that he was tired of my shit, and the flick to my forehead only cemented that idea. I winced, puffing up my cheeks as he got up onto his feet.
"But dango makes everything better!"
Udon was right, mother was pissed. Not at the glasses, but at the bloody and bruised nose that stained his face. She always had a slight disapproval of Konohamaru and Moegi but seeing this seemed to have deepened the sentiment. I frowned, watching her berate Udon while tending to the injury from the bathroom door. Didn't she know what Her son was up against?! Didn't she know how students at the Academy were trained?! It should have been expected that he'd come home with bruises and cuts.
But I digress.
Since then mother became more watchful over Udon, more than was necessary since her kid was attending a Ninja School. I knew that my opinion wouldn't matter since I was technically a three-year-old, and three-year-olds hardly had a say in anything. Unless they were a genius and graduated the Academy by then. With the constant pressure with mother and the intense school work, Udon degraded back into his old silent personality. Constantly holding in his negative emotions in place.
He also tended to stay longer inside the academy once school was over, which was problematic when Mother went to pick him up. I remember vividly the loud arguments between the two when they returned home. Both picking at each of their own weaknesses until it was broken off by father. Honestly, I almost assumed that mother hated Udon, but the small glint of worry in her eyes always brought me back to reality. She actually cared for her son, she just had a strange way of showing it.
That didn't override her terrible ignorance and temper. I got to experience it full force when she took me to the academy on the Twenty-second of January. Time ticked by as the flood of kids dashed out of the large wooden gates. One minute, three minutes, five minutes, ten minutes and still no sign of Udon. Mother's grip on my hand was unusually strong, and by the twitching of her eyebrow, I could tell that she wasn't having it.
"Stay right here Katsu." She commanded, snapping her brown eyes down at me. I gulped, not used to that terrifying look, and nodded.
"Okay."
Her lips turned upward into a small smile before she turned her attention forward with determination, marching off with a purpose. As her figure retreated into the school, I sighed with relief.
Her chakra was suffocating me.
Hushed whispers gained my attention from the small group of kids about five feet away. They were all shooting glances to something sitting at the tree covered area some five yards away. My eyes followed their gaze and when I made contact, my heart sunk. There sitting forlornly on the lonely wooden swing, was Uzumaki Naruto orange jumpsuit and all. His blue eyes hung heavy as he looked out into the crowd of happy children, where some had fresh bluehead bands. My eyes widened and the gears in my head clicked with recognition.
Wasn't today the Academy Graduation Exam? Then that means...
"I heard that this's his second time failing!" A dark orange haired genin muttered.
"I'm not surprised if he's anything like the rumors say."
"What an idiot!"
I glowered at them, but I had to realize that they didn't know any better. If what I saw in the anime was true, then their parents must have planted ideas in their heads.
Just like how my parents tried to do with Udon and me.
It was like my body moved on its own because I was heading towards him. I could feel eyes on me as I made my way, but I wouldn't let them deter me. Naruto was deep in his own thoughts because even though I was in front of him, his blue eyes stared right through me.
It was like he was in a trance.
"Hey! Are you okay?" I asked. There was no answer. I was adamant this time, poking him on the shoulder. No answer. I puffed up my cheeks in annoyance.
How was I going to get his attention?
I contemplated for a few seconds before an idea dawned on me. A wicked smile dawned on me.
This was definitely going to work. I inhaled a large amount of air.
"ICHIRAKU RAMEN IS THE WORST!" I yelled. My words echoed for a bit, and I was beginning to lose hope until the fire returned into Naruto's eyes.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"
I gulped, regretting my decision beforehand. Naruto's hands were on me faster than lightning. Bunching up my collar he pulled me close, staring straight into my soul.
"I don't know what's gotten into your head but Ichiraku Ramen is the BEST IN THE WORLD!" He growled with his voice laced with anger. I started to sweat, his chakra was overwhelming, suffocating me more than mother's was. My chest started to sting, and I was hyperventilating. I knew this wasn't going to end well unless I did something about it.
"Please stop! You're hurting me!"I pleaded, wincing as his nail started to dig into my skin. It took a second, but something changed in his eyes. He released his hands from me, letting me drop to the floor, and I tried to regain my composure as I stared back up at him. I had never gotten someone so angry before, if I didn't know any better I would have assumed that he'd want to kill me right there.
"S-sorry," I stammered. "You were staring and I just wanted to get your attention."
"...My attention?" Naruto questioned, giving me a look as if I'd grown two heads. "Why'd you want to do that?" I wanted to facepalm right there. He wasn't totally stupid, Naruto knew that no one in their right mind would want to actively have a conversation with him, especially if they were a civilian. Luckily, I had a reason to give him.
"You looked lonely," I stated firmly. Naruto just stared at me, from the look in his eyes I could tell that he was thinking, and thinking hard. He squinted his eyes in suspicion.
"How old are you?" He asked.
"Three, but I'm gonna be four in July!" I answered honestly. "How about you?" Naruto seemed to be taken aback by my openness, because when he answered his face morphed into that iconic smile that I knew very well.
"Eleven!" Naruto beamed. I smiled back, but it didn't reach my eyes.
Eleven huh? That means that in less than a year...the timeline will start.
"KATSU!" Mother's voice yelled, and by the tone, I could tell that she wasn't happy with me. I quickly said goodbye to Naruto before running off to meet Mother, with a blank-faced Udon by her side. I saw him cast a curious glance at Naruto, but was quickly pulled away as Mother began to walk towards the gates. Once I was by them she looked at me, not stopping as we exited the grounds. Her dark brown eyes stared hard at mine.
"We're going to have a nice chat when we get home, both of you." She strained. Udon and I blanched, this year was getting off to a terrible start.
It would only get worse.
Im finally done with this chapter! Next chapter is when the actuall Naruto Timeline gets started and I can't wait for my planned events to unfold!
So until then...
Ja ne~
